


The Concert

by Maraudererasmut



Series: Wolfstar Shorts [27]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era, No Smut, Protective Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 14:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16348184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraudererasmut/pseuds/Maraudererasmut
Summary: Remus, Sirius, James and Lily go see their much anticipated concert. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned.





	The Concert

**Author's Note:**

> This one was really hard to tag without spoiling the story, so I erred on the side of less tags, rather than more.
> 
> This is the beginning of the arc that I've wanted to tell for a long while now. I'm glad I'm finally getting to where I wanted the story to go!

“So, how'd you two sleep last night?” Lily asked, turning to Sirius and Remus.

 

Sirius smirked at James.

 

“Eh… It was okay, considering; some _idiot_ made me sleep on the ground.”

 

Lily giggled at Remus’ response.

 

The four friends were gathered together in a small cafe in Glasgow, enjoying a late breakfast. Their concert started at six that evening, so they weren't in any particular rush.

 

The whole adventure had been Sirius’ idea. He insisted on doing everything the muggle way: they drove like muggles, camped like muggles and paid like muggles. James had to trade Lily galleons for pounds, having completely forgotten to go to Gringotts before their journey.

 

“It wasn't _that_ bad, Reme. I don't know what you're complaining about.” Sirius swung an arm over Remus’ shoulder and pulled him in, almost spilling the coffee that he was holding. Moony simply glared at his boyfriend; Padfoot’s jokes usually weren't funny pre-caffeine.

 

“Well, I slept like a baby.” James grinned at Sirius, lovingly wrapping his arm around Lily and kissing her on the cheek. “This one charmed our tent, so we had a full bed with blankets and pillows and a mattress and everything.

 

“Sod off, James.” Remus was too tired for his crap.

 

James and Sirius laughed together, jesting back and forth about the merits of muggle camping versus wizarding luxury. Remus sipped his coffee, attempting to achieve an acceptable level of caffeination.

 

“Hey, Remus?” Lily's voice was quiet, trying not to draw attention to herself.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You okay? You seem a little… off…”

 

Remus smiled at his friend to assuage her concerns.

 

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all…”

 

There was something else, though. A feeling of unease crept up on Lupin, a tingling at the back of his neck. He couldn't help but feel an unusual foreboding.

 

“Okay, just making sure…” Lily smiled kindly, but didn't seem convinced by his explanation.

 

Remus hated how attuned Lily was to people's emotions. It was always difficult to hide things from her. She had a particular knack for knowing when Remus wasn't telling the full truth, much to his dismay.

 

“...Right, Moons?”

 

“Hmm?” Sirius had interrupted Remus’ musing.

 

“It's more fun our way, right?”

 

Remus smiled and rolled his eyes.

 

“I can't believe you idiots are still talking about this.”

 

The playful bickering continued throughout breakfast as the four friends enjoyed their meals. When the table was cleared and stomachs were full, they loitered for a while, not wanting their lazy afternoon to end.

 

“Man… too bad Peter couldn't join us…” James said, thinking aloud.

 

Sirius laughed and nodded towards Lily.

 

“Who are you kidding, Prongs? You're glad Wormy isn't here.”

 

James ran a hand through his dishevelled hair.

 

“Yeah… But don't tell him I said that. He'd kill me!”

 

\---

 

“ _The music's pretty good, eh?”_

 

_“What?!”_

 

_“The music. It's good! I'm kinda surprised!”_

 

_“WHAT?!?”_

 

Remus couldn't hear a thing James was saying. In fact, he couldn't hear much of anything over the roar of the crowd and the muggle rock band. He was enjoying the music, more than he had expected, but it was much louder than he anticipated. This was his first concert and Lupin wondered to himself if it should also be his last.

 

“ _Having fun, Moons?”_

 

_“WHAT?!”_

 

Sirius waved him off, realizing that his boyfriend couldn't hear him over the noise.

 

By the time the concert ended, Remus’ ears were ringing and Sirius’ voice was hoarse. The group laughed together as they walked back to James’ car at the far end of the parking lot, singing familiar songs the entire way.

 

“ _So you think you can stone me and spit in my eeeyeee!”_

 

Remus blushed slightly, surprised at how good Sirius was at singing.

 

“ _So you think you can love me and leave me to diiiee!”_

 

Sirius had his arm around Remus’ shoulders. James and Lily were walking hand-in-hand. Everything seemed perfect.

 

“ _Ooooh, baby! Can't do this to me babyyy! Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here-”_

 

There was a blood curdling scream, high pitched and filled with terror. Sirius’ dramatic singing was cut off and the four friends frantically turned around, searching for the source.

 

Lily gasped and pointed upwards, tugging James to get his attention.

 

Hanging in the sky above the concert venue was a grotesque phantom skull, a snake entwined through its eyes and protruding from its mouth. The four Gryffindors didn't need to say anything. They briefly looked at each other before running towards the commotion, wands at the ready.

 

As they got closer, they could hear more shouting, the cries of frightened muggles piercing the cool night air. Amongst the crowd were hooded figures hiding behind masks, shooting spells all around. James and Lily ran in one direction, Sirius and Remus in the other. They needed to stop the Death Eaters before the situation got worse.

 

Muggle teenagers were being lifted in the air, tossed around like ragdolls. The occasional howl of pain rose up through the rest of the chaos, victims of the Cruciatus Curse unable to contain their agony.

 

“ _Expelliarmus_!” Remus cried, aiming at a Death Eater close to him.

 

“ _Petrificus Totalus_!” Lily's voice came from across the crowd.

 

“ _Crucio_!” It was a familiar voice; one Remus had heard a dozen times before. His stomach dropped and he turned around in panic.

 

“ _Padfoot!_ Go help James and Lily. _NOW_.”

 

“What? No, I'm staying here with you! I'm not leaving you, Reme!”

 

“ _Just GO!”_

 

Sirius needed to leave. He couldn't be around there. Remus needed to keep his boyfriend safe.

 

“Remus, I'm not leaving you!”

 

“Sirius?” The Death Eater in front of Remus fumbled slightly, his wand lowering a touch. The cloaked figure was slight, a thin frame draped in fabric that didn't suit his proportions. Trembling, pale white hands poked out from too-long sleeves.

 

Sirius turned to look at the Death Eater.

 

“...Reg?”

 

“ _Stupefy!_ ” Remus cast the spell on the Death Eater and grabbed Sirius’ arm, pulling him forcefully away from the limp body that dropped to the ground. “Sirius, come on. Let's go help Lily and James.”

 

“Remus… Was that…”

 

“Sirius, _come on_!”

 

“There's too many of them!” Prongs shouted over the mass of people. The reality of their situation began to set in. They were four teenagers, still in school, still learning magic, attempting to clear away an army of trained wizards; wizards who had no qualms about murdering and torturing innocent human beings.

 

The Death Eaters began surrounding the four of them, wands at the ready. Sirius, James, Remus and Lily stood back to back, wands out, prepared to fight for their lives.

 

_Pop._

 

_Pop. Pop._

 

Spells flew through the air, hitting some of the cloaked figures in the back.

 

_Pop._

 

 _Pop_.

 

Remus searched around him, desperate to know if the aparating wizards were on their side or not.

 

“ _Potter?_ For Christ's sake! It's the whole lot of you!” A familiar, stern voice broke through the crowd. James had never in his life been so grateful to hear McGonagall call his name. “What in Merlin's name are you _doing here?_ ”

 

The circle of Death Eaters broke as more adults aparated in, casting spells and defending the muggles.

 

Minerva McGonagall reached her four students.

 

“Come with me!”

 

They followed, escaping the chaos around them, as their professor led them to safety.

 

“What are you four _doing_ here?” She repeated, completely aghast, as if these weren't three of the students who had caused the most trouble during her time at Hogwarts.

 

“We could say the same thing! We were here for a concert!” James spoke for the group, the other three too shaken to respond. “What the _fuck_ is going on?”

 

“ _Potter!”_

 

“I'm sorry, Professor, but I think this situation allows for a certain leniency when it comes to foul language!”

 

“This is not the time for joking around, Potter. Wait here. Do not approach the Death Eaters. Professor Dumbledore will have to deal with you once this is over.”

 

“Dumbledore…?”

 

Remus felt like he was in school again, his professor scolding them and bringing them to the Headmaster. What were they doing at the concert? How did they know to aparate here?

 

When the fighting finally died down, the four Gryffindors were approached by both their Headmaster and Head of House.

 

“Professor, what's going on?” Lily spoke up, stepping forward.

 

“Lily…” Dumbledore sighed and peered over his half moon spectacles. “I am not going to sugar coat it: we are in the middle of a war. You happened upon the battlefield and, whether it was intentional or not, it resulted in a difficult situation for us.” Dumbledore's words were riddled with disappointment. She had never gotten in trouble with the Headmaster before, and seeing him like this rattled her slightly. “What were you four doing here?”

 

“I told you!” James shouted, fists clenched. “We were here for a concert! A muggle concert! We weren't looking for trouble!”

 

“Albus, do you think they're telling the truth?”

 

“Yes, Minerva. I do think these students happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

“Why are you here, Professor?” It was Remus who spoke up, much to James’ surprise. “How did you know to come rescue us?”

 

“We’ve been following the going-ons of the Death Eaters in the hopes of putting an end to this war once and for all.” Dumbledore was honest with them, not hiding the truth or trying to change the subject. The marauders always respected their Headmaster for that: he treated all of his students like adults.

 

“...All of you?” Remus nodded towards the several other adults dealing with the aftermath, some of which were familiar faces.

 

“Yes, Remus. All of us. We have formed a group whose sole purpose is to put an end to the atrocities committed at the hands of Voldemort.”

 

The four friends remained silent. They had spent their past few years safe in the confines of the castle or living in the ignorant bliss of their youthful shenanigans. This was the first time the war became real to them; the first time they witnessed a battle first-hand. James stood up straight and looked Dumbledore in the eyes.

 

“I want to join.”

 

“Me too.” Lily took James’ hand, standing beside him.

 

“We all do.” Remus said, nodding in agreement.

 

“Absolutely not!” McGonagall's voice was firm and shrill, completely floored that students from her house would spout such nonsense.

 

“We do not allow students to join the Order.” Dumbledore's response was simple and to the point. The Gryffindors knew exactly what he was implying. “Now, I suggest you leave this area immediately. The Ministry will be here any moment to clean up this mess, and I don't imagine you would want to stick around for that.”

 

Remus nodded and took Sirius’ hand, pulling him in the direction of the car, James and Lily following behind.

 

“What's wrong with Sirius?” James was concerned. Normally, Padfoot would have been the first to volunteer to join Dumbledore's cause. Prongs hadn't heard his friend speak since the whole situation began. Remus squeezed Sirius’ hand and answered.

 

“...One of the Death Eaters… it was Regulus.”

 

James didn't respond. He knew how difficult his best friend would be taking this. There was nothing he could offer for comfort.

 

They got inside the car in complete silence and James drove to the campsite. Without saying a word, James and Lily stepped out of the car to disassemble the tents, leaving Remus and Sirius behind. Their initial plan was to spend the night in Glasgow and drive to London in the morning, but they knew they'd never be able to sleep after what happened.

 

Padfoot and Moony sat, waiting for their friends to return, an overwhelming stillness surrounding them. Sirius was empty, gone, staring off into space, unable to bring himself back from his despair. Remus knew there was nothing he could do other than hold his boyfriend and be there for him when he came back.

 

James and Lily returned to the car and the four of them set out on the long drive to London. Sirius was lying down in the backseat, his head on Remus’ lap. Remus ran his fingers gently through his boyfriend's hair while staring silently out the window. Lily closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep in the front. They drove, stopping only once for gas. No one could eat. No one could talk. No one could rest. They just sat, waiting for their nightmare to end.

 

By the time the dilapidated Ford pulled into the driveway at Potter Manor, it was well into the morning. James stopped the car and turned it off. Nobody moved. He turned to his friends and broke their hours-long silence.

 

“We're all staying here today. Mum and Dad won't mind. Leave stuff in the car, just come inside.”

 

The four teenagers dragged themselves down the driveway to James’ family home, knowing that from this point onwards, nothing in their lives would ever be the same.


End file.
